I was pleasantly surprised to see Angelus publish a picture of the image that progressively showed up in a drying sidewalk puddle starting on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, outside of my home parish, Holy Family of Artesia. Was it a miracle? Or was it just a Rorschach test identifying more about the viewer than about the actual image?

Thinking about it offered me a mini-perspective of my life as a modern Catholic. As a very scientific person, I am a bit conflicted. There is the modern attitude we all have to deal with: “Oh look, those Catholics are seeing the Virgin Mary in a piece of toast! What a bunch of primitive ignoramuses!” So I and like-minded people avoid being roped into saying this is some kind of miracle.

However, I must say, if Mary wanted to send any parish a greeting card honoring their devotion to her, Holy Family would be a decent choice. I see more people praying to her at this church than at any other church I have been to.